Questions for Dan, Joe (and others)

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Offcenter

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 28, 2012
Messages
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Location
Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey
Guys, first I want to thank you for all the research and testing you've done to make it easier for those of us who don't have the knowledge or abilities that you do.
Now that I have my '76 on the road (with C5 ignition!), I would really like to get rid of those four damned carbs.
I've already spent too much money on them, money I can't afford to spend. Just saving for the C5 set me back a year on this bike.
But I have a few questions.....
I've tried to read all the threads here on the topic, but the info is kinda scattered, and many of the posts are over two years old.
1. Joe, I know that you seem to prefer the Weber, but Dan, if I read it right, you finally settled on the Solex carb because it's the easiest to set up? I do NOT have the knowledge or money to experiment like you guys have done. I want to do it once, then enjoy riding it.
2. Can you give me a link to buy this carb?
3. Will this work as well with my 1000 as it does with your 1200? (20% less displacement?)
4. If I do it your way, will the tool tray still fit above the air cleaner?

That will do for now. I'm sure I'll have a LOT more questions once I start down this road.

Thanks again guys. I'm really looking forward to having this bike run the way it should!
 
hmmmm well on my bike witch is 1000 framed and 1200 powered ..the tool tray is history ...i do like the dft and dont know much about the one barrels ... ihave set up a solex once it seemed to do great for me but had no time in riding it....all car carbs used mostly are some form of epa engineered junk tech ... that makes working with them sort of hard ......that said when it comes to carbs stock or car carbs there both just a form of epa retarded engeneering ...so there is a proccess of modding sanity back into retarded engineering epa carbs...it has been a long proccess for me i dont settle for almost ... id say at the moment we hwere at clasic are just about further than others in setting up single carbs ..one barrel or 2 ....do i think there more to gain yes ... do i think stock carbs are as good as dft or solex no ...they are built for this motor and have never really been all that ever ...just a complete epa nightmare of many interdependent parts that add up to no low end operation to rather slow to sick operation on top end rpm ..so plug and play on singles no ..some push they are or satisfied how they work now ... stock set up not hard to beat really ....personally i like the 2 stage set up in carburation as it brings 2 carbs to the table and at different % of throttle applied....if i were you and with this forum here to bounce results on id say go for it ... it beats stock ..im determin to get 100% out of my set ups
 
Ok Joe, I understand that you want to get the most out of it.
Personally, I have no desire to go 130 on this thing. If it will do
90 smoothly on highway, that's enough. Most of my riding is back
roads, 35 to 50 mph. And right now, it sorta sucks at that. Those
four carbs don't start to feel good until 60 mph or so, above 3,000 rpm.
Country road speeds are annoying with the thing.
So I guess you could say that I would be willing to settle for "almost"
since it would be a lot better than what I have now.
Between you, Dan and some of the other guys, I'm sure I'll get it working
eventually. I just don't want to spend a bunch MORE money and end
up with a project that goes nowhere because I can't figure it out.
So I guess the first thing is start accumulating the parts I need.
Thanks Joe.
Now I'll wait to see what Dan has to say.
 
Hard to keep this short, so here goes......

Well I mostly agree with what Joe says. Once EPA got their hands on carbs they tuned them for a specific application which (in most cases) made them to rely on other EPA devices to perform at the level they needed.

Enough jibber jabber about that. It doesn't mean an EPA carb won't work, it just means that the carb may need to be modded to perform how we want it on our engines.

The DFT was once a very good carb. This is back before EPA got their grimy hands on it.
The most readily available DFT has the EPA mods done to it. In doing so, they removed an important idle mixture screw to tune the carb for our application in a way that I feel would be acceptable.

Joe and I have spent many many hours in chat and on the phone looking at ways to lean the idle circuit on this carb with the true idle mixture screw eliminated by EPA.
Many guys have built up a SCC with the DFT (DFT "out of the box") and are very happy with it and claiming very high mpg, some better than stock 4 carbs could ever do.
Funny thing is though, those guys claiming come along, post a few times then they are gone.

The best mpg I've been able to get from 2 DFT's (one new from Stovebolt) is 41. That was on an 1100 engine with the 1983 transmission.
On the 1200 engine, that dropped to 34. My bike is an 83 full dress with a larger than stock windshield.

Changed now to a new Solex one barrel.
As I tuned it with jetting, it was too lean from the start, I got 38 mpg on the 1200 engine.
Further tuning I get now 41 mpg. This is not babying it trying to get that mpg.

So some say mpg isn't everything. Well to me mpg is a good reference to stock as a baseline for comparison.
It also gives me a good idea how my tuning is going, rich or lean.

Bottom line is this in my opinion and experience for the way I ride......

The second barrel of a DFT isn't needed under almost all conditions.
The Solex, even though the lack of the second barrel is definitely felt when you open it up, has plenty of get go for me.
The Solex is easier to tune, is smaller, and I feel is a better match to the engine CC in the feel during acceleration.
The Solex gets better mpg than the DFT.

I have spent way too many hours messing with 2 DFT's to get them even close to what I feel is acceptable.
Both of them are on the shelf.
Solex is on the bike and staying that way.

The tray sits on top of the air filter.

To wrap this up....
If you want to pull every bit of power from the engine, go with the DFT or some other 2 barrel.
If you want smoother idle in a simpler package, and mostly just cruise around, go with a Solex or similar.
 
Thinking the 30 pict would be pretty good since it was on the 1300 VW`s.. CC displacement is closest.
Also noticed the guy making the steel manifolds had one BIN for $150..not a bad price.
 
just to throw another option in here, another conversion that i did that worked very well(and still does) is with a 1 bbl holley carb from a 62 ford falcon with a 140 c/i engine. the only thing i did was block off the power valve and changed the main jet from a #48 to a #55 with standard holley jets, very easy,simple coversion and will run the 90mph you are looking for. if you look at the pic's in my photos, you will see a pic of the set up with the silver intake. i cannot use the stock tool tray as i use a long mounting flange for the carb to mount to so the carb sets too high for the tray as i like to use a stock air filter, however with a short filter... it may fit? have fun!
 
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=152242#p152242:4w7grlda said:
sgq700 » Tue Jun 30, 2015 4:45 pm[/url]":4w7grlda]
just to throw another option in here, another conversion that i did that worked very well(and still does) is with a 1 bbl holley carb from a 62 ford falcon with a 140 c/i engine. the only thing i did was block off the power valve and changed the main jet from a #48 to a #55 with standard holley jets, very easy,simple coversion and will run the 90mph you are looking for. if you look at the pic's in my photos, you will see a pic of the set up with the silver intake. i cannot use the stock tool tray as i use a long mounting flange for the carb to mount to so the carb sets too high for the tray as i like to use a stock air filter, however with a short filter... it may fit? have fun!

The main jet is the high speed jet, right?
What is the Power Valve? Is that like the accelerator pump?
(Like I said, I don't have the knowledge of this stuff that you guys have)

Nice manifold! But it looks like it requires some serious welding talent.
That leaves me out. So far, the PVC manifold is looking good to me.
That I can build!
 
The main jet is the only screw in jet in a holley 1bbl carb, very simple carb to work on and tune , if you get one, just google the carb and you will see all the pics that show you where the jut is and where the power valve is and if you wish to disable the power valve, you simply block off the vacume supply with a piece of gasket materal.... PCV should be fine! or look thru the forsale ad's! i member here has a complete ready to run set up for sale and if you don't like the price... make a offer!! after all, it is tuned and ready to go!! just another option... have fun!!
 
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=152247#p152247:utrijxni said:
Offcenter » Tue Jun 30, 2015 2:53 pm[/url]":utrijxni]
Thanks very much, Guys.
Zman, would you have a link to the guy selling this manifold?
And Dan, would you have a link to the Solex carb you are using?
Here you go..
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Gl1000-Gl1100-s ... 84&vxp=mtr
 
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=152249#p152249:1of834e2 said:
sgq700 » Tue Jun 30, 2015 6:21 pm[/url]":1of834e2]
look thru the forsale ad's! i member here has a complete ready to run set up for sale and if you don't like the price... make a offer!! after all, it is tuned and ready to go!! just another option... have fun!!

Sold already. Damn. Wish I'd seen that sooner. :head bang:
 
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=152261#p152261:1vghw4hd said:
zman » Tue Jun 30, 2015 7:45 pm[/url]":1vghw4hd]
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=152247#p152247:1vghw4hd said:
Offcenter » Tue Jun 30, 2015 2:53 pm[/url]":1vghw4hd]
Thanks very much, Guys.
Zman, would you have a link to the guy selling this manifold?
And Dan, would you have a link to the Solex carb you are using?
Here you go..
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Gl1000-Gl1100-s ... 84&vxp=mtr

Thanks Zman! Now I need the right carb.
 
Guys, a question about heating the manifold......
On my '76, there is a tube going across the top of the engine from one cylinder head to the other.
I assume this tube carries coolant??
Can this be used to heat the manifold?
I saw several posts about adding plumbing from the waterpump and wherever that
seemed overly complicated.
Why not just cut this tube and run it through the bottom of the manifold?
 
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=152266#p152266:2q0xq6ip said:
Offcenter » Tue Jun 30, 2015 4:54 pm[/url]":2q0xq6ip]
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=152261#p152261:2q0xq6ip said:
zman » Tue Jun 30, 2015 7:45 pm[/url]":2q0xq6ip]
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=152247#p152247:2q0xq6ip said:
Offcenter » Tue Jun 30, 2015 2:53 pm[/url]":2q0xq6ip]
Thanks very much, Guys.
Zman, would you have a link to the guy selling this manifold?
And Dan, would you have a link to the Solex carb you are using?
Here you go..
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Gl1000-Gl1100-s ... 84&vxp=mtr

Thanks Zman! Now I need the right carb.
I hadn't read the ad but apparently he runs the 34 pict carb on his , he may have advice on using the 34 Pict carb, may be a better option but I really have no experience with the conversion.
 
Just to add, even though I have no dog in this fight or experience, but the dft also was applied to 1300cc FordMerc engines, so it too is pretty close to appropriate. As to the four carbs, I'm still pretty happy with mine on the hybrid. I switched exhaust and intake filters and have picked up a little deceleration pops to figure out. I also drilled my plugged vacuum holes the next size up. It rips, period. I don't get the big rush from when that 2 bbl kicks in, but I get really smooth acceleration right from the get go. My mileage around town is around 30. If I behave, 36. I haven't had it out on the highway much. I don't expect it to make 40 unless there's a tailwind, but that's all a stock 77 1000 will get.
 
yes many are satisfied with stock carb eric ...but many are not .. and updating them is ridicluesly exspensive...and the return is nothing more than stock ...not much bang for the buck... single carb or non stock people actually want something different ....and i have found the difference can make the bike completely different in drivability for better and also for me way more faster ....
 
I don't want to throw a wrench into the thread, but I do have a question. Dan and Joe had done an in creditable job of experimenting and working with the single carb setup, be it single or double barrel, and your documentation of the process is great. If I'm reading Offcenter right he just wants his bike to run well, and has had a lot of frustration with the stock carbs.

When I got my 83, it ran terrible. I rebuilt the carbs that had probably ten year old fuel left in them. Replaced the 40 mm manifold O-rings, and balanced that carbs. I have had absolutely no trouble with the carbs and the engine runs beautifully. I said all that to ask what is really wrong with the stock carbs that so many people are having trouble with?

I just recently met a guy that has the an 82, couldn't get the carbs balanced. I found on of the Manifold O-rings leaking, and two other vacuum leaks at the ports where you hook the vacuum gauges to. There was nothing wrong with the carbs. I'm wondering if that is something that is missed frequently?

My 83 is full dress with oversize windshield, I average a little over 40 mpg running an average of 60 to 65.

Dan, Joe, I admire the work and dedication you have put into the single carb setup, and as you have said, the EPA has made if very difficult to modify fuel systems today.
 
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